Semaphore was created by Siddu Ananalingam between jazz saxophone transcriptions and chemical engineering problem sets and decided that the only way he could have time to explore his musical interests would be to combine his varied musical tastes. Semaphore draws inspiration from the musicality and social commentary of artists like Pink Floyd and Smashing Pumpkins and has a sound that is intricate, lush and hard to pin down to any one genre. A combination of the best parts of 90s grunge with floaty vocals, delayed guitar effects that are glued together with subtle jazz chord voicings and great productions, Anandalingam is currently joined by guitarist Jay Kohler, bassist Niko Hasapopoulos and drummer Emmet Ceglia.
“Unreliable” is an upbeat yet down-to-earth track that has beautiful soft vocals, technical drum sections, and a wonderful blend of driving guitar riffs and defining bass lines. The song is the first track on Semaphores EP “Season” and starts off the album with a great look into the feel of the rest of the songs. The vocals are remnant of some early punk rock bands, and the style of “Unreliable” is definitely of various genres with hints of Rock, Jazz, and Indie just to name a few. The drum lines are extremely technical, filled with a variety of pieces from a drum kit and is one of my favourite parts of the track as it really gives the song a bit of intensity and combined with the natural or raw sounds of the other instruments makes for a beautiful mixture. The lyrics are relatable and each word is articulated beautifully while being filled with emotion and a passion that can be felt in your soul that is mixed with subtle harmonies. “Unreliable” is another natural sounding track that makes you feel like you are standing out in the middle of a busy city experiencing the sounds around you and the business of the streets. If you are looking for a track that will get your head bobbing, your heart beating, and has a phenomenal beat to it – “Unreliable” is the perfect song for you!
Listen to "Unreliable" here and get to know more about Semaphore below!
Hey Semaphore! Phenomenal chatting with you! Can you tell us a bit more about yourselves?
Hey BuzzMusic! We're a post-shoegaze band from Brooklyn with a love of mathcore, post-hardcore, experimental, and 20th Century classical music. We combine all these influences to create our unique sound!
What was the inspiration behind “Unreliable” and is there a deeper meaning behind the song?
It deals with the central themes of our upcoming album: lack of trust in ourselves, our friends, and the city we live in. If all these things work harmoniously, they could bring us happiness, and yet they are so often the things that fail us and leave us dejected.
What sets Semaphore apart from other artists?
Other than our unique combination of influences, which allow us to play shows with a diverse range of bands, we also covered all of Miss Machine by The Dillinger Escape Plan last Halloween (the video is on youtube).
How did you all meet and what made you decide to join forces and create music?
I moved back to Brooklyn in mid-2016 and went about trying to find members for the band. At a 2016 Dillinger Escape Plan show, I recognized Emmett Ceglia while Emmett was crowdsurfing, and remembered him as a friend of a friend who was a fantastic drummer. After connecting with Emmett, he recommended Jay Kohler as a virtuosic mathcore guitarist/composer who brought sensitivity and musicality to all projects he was associated with. A couple of months later, Jay and
I met Niko Hasapopoulos while waiting in line to hear Ben Weinman (from Dillinger) give a talk about the music industry. While Niko was just a college student at the time, his excitement and energy was infectious, and he soon signed on as Semaphore’s permanent bassist.
What can we expect to see next from Semaphore in 2019?
We're playing BLED Fest this year, and going on tour in June to the North East and Canada! In the Fall, we will be writing our second LP, which will be our first studio album!
Connect with Semaphore on social media
www.instagram.com/semaphoremusic
www.twitter.com/SemaphoreBand
www.facebook.com/semaphoretheband